equate

verb

i-ˈkwāt 

ˈē-ˌkwāt

equated; equating

transitive verb

1

a

: to make equal : equalize

b

: to make such an allowance or correction in as will reduce to a common standard or obtain a correct result

2

: to treat, represent, or regard as equal, equivalent, or comparable

equates disagreement with disloyalty

intransitive verb

: to correspond as equal

Synonyms

• compare
• liken

Examples of equate in a Sentence

You shouldn't equate those two things.

a value system that equates money with success

Recent Examples on the Web

Imagery that 'equates officers to warriors' Imagery that evokes warriors is a shared theme among a number of LMPD’s coins. —Josh Wood, The Courier-Journal, 27 Dec. 2024

Traditionally, organizations have equated specialized knowledge with leadership potential. —Anna Barnhill, Forbes, 26 Dec. 2024

That can be hard for habitual worriers, Brown says, because many people mistakenly equate worrying with preparation or problem solving—but studies suggest the opposite is often true. —Jamie Ducharme, TIME, 23 Dec. 2024

The trio’s fans ate it up, and Musk kept posting about the idea all weekend long, at one point promoting a homophobic meme that equated Maddow with Mark Cuban. —Brian Stelter, CNN, 25 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin aequatus, past participle of aequare

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Phrases Containing equate

• equate to
• equate with/and

Kids Definition

equate

verb

i-ˈkwāt 

equated; equating

: to make or treat as equal or equivalent